SoUnd 42: Port Mobius
by Manic SoUnd
Summary: The hedgehogs get caught in a trap while trying to get Manic's medallion back at Port Mobius. With Sonia gone to find Cyrus, are Sonic and Manic alone on this one, or will a certain foxy-friend show up to save the day?
1. Chapter 1

Manic was sitting in the back of the van with Tails, while Sonic and Sonia argued upfront about something or other. He had his arms crossed, and was scowling at the floor while he scuffed he shoes back and forth across it. "Hmph."

"Oh come on Manic, come off it." Tails said.

"Yeah, Sonia's supposed to be the moody one!"

"Hey!"

"It's true!"

"So_rry_," Manic snapped back as his siblings went back to arguing. "I'm just a _little _moody, because 'Butnik just _happens _to have my hoverboard _and _my medallion!"

"No sweat bro." Sonic called back. "We'll get your stuff back."

"We'd better." Manic growled.

"Yeesh, seriously Manic, what's up with you lately? This just isn't like you." Sonic asked.

Manic sighed. "Yeah, I know." He sat up again now. "I suppose you're right, I just want my stuff back."

"Not so good when you're the one getting your stuff taken, is it?"

"Hey!" Manic glared at his brother, but he wasn't as angry any more, and Tails could tell they were just joking around with each other. Suddenly Manic sat up straight. "Let's go get it tonight!"

"What?"Sonia called. "We can't! We don't even know where he's keeping it!"

"Sure we do!" Manic was grinning now, an idea forming in his head. "Ok, come on guys, this is my medallion we're talking about, ok? You don't seriously think 'Butnik would trust Sleet or Dingo with it, do you?"

This received two head-shakes from his siblings.

"So then all we have to do is find 'Butnik and we find my stuff. He's gotta have it himself."

"He's got a point." Sonic agreed.

"So now we're going to go _looking _for Robotnik?" Sonia asked.

"Yup!" The two hedgehog brothers said in unison.

"Gr_eeeaat_." She moaned sarcastically.

_ _ _ _ _

"Alright guys, I think I got something here." Tails called from where he was fiddling with the radio. He began scribbling something down on a piece of paper.

"Ok." He addressed the three hedgehogs surrounding him now. "We've got four hours. Robotnik's going to be down at Port Mobius, to get a new shipment of parts from Southern Mobius. So if we're going to do something, now would be the time.

"Port Mobius?" Sonic asked Tails with an awkward smile. "And you're _sure _about that?"

"Uh... yeah." Tails answered, slightly confused. He turned to face Manic and Sonia. "What's up with him?" He asked, jerking his thumb towards Sonic.

Manic and Sonia were both laughing. Manic grinned and put a hand over Tails' shoulder. "Well, big guy." He pointed at Sonic, glaring a them. "Sonic here has a thing for water. He isn't very fond of it." He grinned again, when Sonic crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at his brother.

"You're... _afraid _of water?" Tails asked slowly.

"I am not." Sonic said defensively. "I just prefer to stay dry."

"Oh..." Tails smiled and scratched his head as he watched the siblings continue to argue amongst each other. "Ok then..." He slowly turned himself around and went back to fiddling with the radio, trying to intercept more transmissions.

_ _ _ _ _

"Ok kids, here's the plan." Sonic sat on the floor of the van with Sonia, Manic, and Tails. "You and Tails watch the van, while me and Manic run in, grab the medallion, and come back out. We'll be there and back before 'Butnik even notices it's missing."

"Sonic, that plan's not going to work. It's not even a plan!" Sonia argued, waving her hand for emphasis.

"Well, at least if it's not a plan we don't have to worry about it not working." Sonic shot back.

"Calm down children!" Manic laughed.

"Sonic Hedgehog-"

"Outa here!" Sonic grabbed his brother's wrist and leaped out of the van. They hit the ground running, leaving their sister behind in the van with Tails.

"Boys!" She yelled to no one in particular, and Tails was still sitting on the floor of the van, looking utterly confused at the hedgehogs' behaviour. "Hehe... sorry." He said, rubbing his head. "Guess I'm not really used to company."

_ _ _ _ _

"You ready bro?" Asked Manic.

"You know it." Sonic grinned.

"Then let's do it to it!" They said together and high-fived each other. Sonic grabbed Manic again and they sped down the deserted hallway together. They entered a big, empty, dark theatre. Sonic was about to start running again when Manic said "Stop! Wait bro, something's seriously wrong here."

"What'ch ya' talkin' 'bout bro?"

"It's too quiet. The whole place is empty. It should be crawling with SWATbots."

"Maybe we got the wrong place." Sonic suggested. "Or the wrong day." He added, grinning. "Guess we'll just have to go."

"Oh no, hedgehogs, this is quite the right place"

"Robutnik?" Sonic spun around to face a large monitor screen that they had failed to notice before because it was off. It was on now, and showed the smiling face of Robotnik.

"Uh, Sonic." Manic pointed behind them. They were surrounded by SWATbots.

"Is this better, Manic?" Sonic asked his brother sarcastically.

"Oh yes, most definitely."

"Looking for this, hedgehogs?" Robutnik asked, holding up Manic's medallion.

"Hey!" Manic shouted to the monitor. "Gimme that!"

"You want it? Come and get it." He smiled again as the screen flashed off, leaving Manic and Sonic in the dark.

Sonic felt cold metal hand grab him from behind, and he quickly spun out of the grip, destroying three SWATbots in the tornado he caused. He tried to look through the darkness to see how his brother was doing, but couldn't make out any shapes. He grabbed for his own medallion, and in the blue glow it caused, he could see his brother sitting on top of a SWATbot, pounding it with his drumsticks.

Deciding that he would be fine on his own, Sonic began firing his guitar's laser at the advancing SWATbots. He was able to take out tons of them, but it seemed that no matter how many he took down, there were more to replace them.

Manic was jumping from bot to bot, mostly pounding away with his drumsticks, but landing a few kicks as well. As he pushed himself feet first off of a SWATbots chest, leaving it to fall onto one of it's 'brothers', he saw another two coming up behind him. Knowing he would have time to turn and land a kick, he curled into a ball midair. He couldn't do a spin attack like Sonic, but it would still protect him from smacking head on into a large metal body.

He sat up and rubbed his head as he made contact and was knocked to the floor, when he felt something grab his wrist and pick him off from the floor. "Aww, shoot." He muttered. He swung around to kick his captor, but his legs were promptly grabbed by yet another 'bot. "Aww shoot." He repeated.

Sonic recalled his medallion when he finished off the last of the SWATbots that he could see. He turned to where his brother should have been, to see him struggling with two more SWATbots. He then noticed a couple of bots still coming in from the stage entrance. "Drat." Sonic muttered, reaching for his medallion once again, but before he could call out his instrument, he felt something hard smack him across the back of his head.

"Ouch!" He yelled as he was flung to the floor. "Watch it!" He growled as he turned to face what had hit him. He found himself face to face with the barrel of a very large, very deadly, laser rifle. "Hehe, or, you know, don't. It's up to you."

_ _ _ _ _

"They're taking too long Tails." Sonia fretted. "Something must have gone wrong."

Tails nodded. "I'm worried too." Suddenly he stopped and looked thoughtful. "Hmm" He muttered some stuff to himself. "Oh no..." He quickly crossed the van to check on his equipment. "Uh oh. Sonia! I think I _may_ have sent your brothers into a trap!"

"What?" She yelled, suddenly standing up and walking over to him. "What are you talking about, Tails?"

"Come look!" Tails called back, over his shoulder, adjusting some knobs on his radio and frantically writing down a couple of codes. He began pulling out random papers and equipment. "Look. Most of Robotnik's radio transmissions are embedded with an IH2 code, and I have to decode each individual incoming message. This one was broadcast by one of Robotnik's 02fL locations on an open-wave frequency."

"Meaning?"

"He _meant_ for me to find it! He knew we would come to get Manic's medallion back! It must have been a setup!"

"We have to go save them!"

"No." Tails stopped Sonia from running out of the van. "No point walking right into what we already know is a trap. You'll have to take the van back, get some equipment... And make sure you let Cyrus and the other freedom fighters know where you're going. If you get caught and no one knows where you are, they can't help."

"I guess that makes sense." She agreed. "But what about you?"

"Aw, don't worry 'bout it. I'm expendable."

"Tails!"

He held up his hands. "Just kidding, Sonia!" He lowered his arms and took another pace towards the doors. "Seriously though, I need to go in there and see what's going on. You can't come, promise me, you will go tell Cyrus what's going on and come straight back."

Sonia nodded hesitantly, then called back after him. "But Tails, wai--" She stopped and shook her head in defeat when she realized that Tails had already left the van, and closed the door.

She rolled her eyes and went back to the front of the van, strapped herself in, and sped back to Robotropolis, and Cyrus, and quickly as she could.


	2. Chapter 2

"Man, what happened?" Manic asked, rubbing his head as he sat up, wearily regarding his surroundings.

"Manic! Your awake!" That was Sonic... Sonic was...here? Where was here?

"Sonic?" Manic looked around trying to spot his brother. There he was, sitting cross legged on the floor, behind him. "Where _are_ we?" He asked, trying to get a good look at where they were.

"We're in the storage bay of one of Robutnik's hovercraft's."

Manic looked thoughtful for a moment. "That's not good." He finally stated.

"Nope." His brother agreed. "And check out the funky chains... or should I say... heck, I don't even know."

Manic looked down. His wrists were both engulfed in a wierd orange glow. "Great, this stuff again."

"So you've seen it before?"

"This is how Robutnik caught me the first time in that SWATbot factory, when he took my medallion."

"No kiddin'" Sonic said, leaning back against the wall.

"Sooo... any ideas?" Manic asked his brother.

Sonic opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by another voice coming from just outside the door.

"Claws off, buddy. Hey, watch the tails!" Suddenly a soft, furry shape flopped onto the floor between Manic and Sonic. "And you didn't need to throw me so hard either!" He called after the SWATbots as they turned to leave.

"Tails!" Manic called, and the fox turned around grinning. "Hey," Manic nudged his brother. "He has a knack for getting into trouble almost as much as you!"

"Eh? Fancy meeting you here." Tails grinned back. "Well, no worries." He pulled out a tiny blackish-purple box from one of his tails, and slid it through the energy beam around his wrists and ankles. He then stood up and walked over to Manic, doing the same for him. Manic stood and stretched out as the fox freed his brother too.

"Well, now that that's settled." Tails clapped his hands together. He grabbed a couple of gold wristbands out of his tails and handed them to the hedgehogs. "Cya guys." He put on his own silver wristband. "I'll keep the SWATbots busy while you two make your daring escape."

"How will you keep them busy, Tails? I _am _sorta the 'priority one hedgehog', you know?"

"Oh, I know all right." The fox said, grinning. He then held up his hand with the wristband on it, letting the silver catch and reflect the sun's light. "I know that we just did a little role-switching. Maybe you can tell the difference, but the 'bots can't!"

Manic and Sonic grinned, getting the idea. "You sure you'll be ok?" Manic asked the fox.

"Hmm? Oh, me? Of course. A walk in the park." He flashed them a thumbs up before jumping out the door, half flying with his tails to soften the landing. Manic hesitated for a moment, but Sonic quickly grabbed him and jumped out the door, brother in tow.

They landed directly in front of a SWATbot and tensed to fight, but to their surprise, it just turned away and continued walking. They both stood, surprised for a moment.

"It's like we're completely invisible." Manic said, eyeing the golden band on his wrist.

Sonic did the same, rolling around a bit with his other hand. "Well." He said, looking up, and slightly startling his brother, who did the same. "Come on. Let's have some fun with these."

_ _ _ _ _

"Find anything yet?" Sonic asked his brother impatiently.

"Wait a minute." Manic responded, typing away at the computer console. "Ugh. I think I'm losing my touch." He muttered. A 'ping' sound came from the computer right then. "Never mind." He said, grinning and sitting back up.

"I'm _waaaiting." _Sonic called, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Oookay, what's this?" Manic asked out loud, looking at the screen in confusion.

"What?" Asked Sonic, appearing by his brothers side at the computer console in a flash of blue, making Manic rock a bit in his seat.

"Dude, don't do that." He told his brother, looking a little dizzy, but still smiling.

"Oh, sorry." Sonic said a little meekly. "So what is it?"

"Robotnik already left-"

"Bummer majores."

"But there's more..."

"What?"

"Says here they caught a hedgehog. Well I'm right here, and Sonia already left." Manic said, pointing at the screen.

"And it's not yours truly." Sonic said. Suddenly he looked at Manic quizzically. "So then who'd they catch?"

"Tails." Manic said.

"...But he's a fox."

Manic rolled his eyes. "I know that. But that's what his wrist band did. It made them think he was you. Which means Robotnik obviously hasn't seen him yet, otherwise he would have known the difference."

_ _ _ _ _

Manic and Sonic were waiting outside, near the pier, where they had left the van. The van was gone, but they figured if they waited, Sonia would show up with it. They were right, and they didn't have to wait long. They could see the van coming in the distance, and their sister could obviously see them too, because the van pulled over to where the two were waited and screeched to a halt right in front of them.

The doors opened in the side almost before the van had stopped moving, and the two hedgehogs quickly jumped inside. "Thanks for that daring rescue sis." Manic said, giving Sonia a lopsided grin and a thumbs up.

"Ha ha, very funny." She said sarcasically. Looking around, she added, "where's Tails?"

"Well, uh, you see..." Sonic began, holding both of his hands behind his head.

"He got _caught_???" Their sister asked angrily.

"Well..." Manic spoke up, hoping not to direct his sisters wrath towards himself.

Sonic and Sonia both turned to look at their brother.

"Well," he continued, "he kinda meant to be caught."

"What?" Sonic looked at his brother confused.

"Why would he want to do that?" Sonia asked.

Manic sat behind the wheel and buckled his seatbelt, pulling out and beginning to drive away. "I'll explain as we go."

_ _ _ _ _

Sonic and Sonia were both watching their brother as he spoke to them. "See, he could have just left with us after he broke us out, but instead he gave us these bands." He held up his wrist, still wearing the wristband that Tails had given him. "So he knew we'd have to wait for you."

Sonia stared at her brother. "How do you get that?"

Manic sighed. "You said he sent you away, right?"

Sonia nodded.

"So he knew me and Sonic would have to wait for you to get back. And Robutnik was still at the pier, so he would have found us. Tails had to get Butnik to leave, and that would only happen if he caught one of us. So he got caught instead."

Sonia shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Butnik can tell the difference between a fox and a hedgehog. He may be dumb, but even he's not _that_ stupid."

Sonic nodded, starting to catch on. "Maybe Robutnik could tell the difference, but the SWATbots couldn't."

Sonia looked at her brother in confusion.

Holding up his wrist again, Sonic smiled. "Tails had one of his own to make the SWATbots programming think he was Sonic"

"But now we've lost Tails _and_ your medallion." Sonia said.

Manic shook his head again. "He knew that the SWATbuts would lead him right to Robotnik, and, my medallion."

"But when Robutnik finds out he's not us, he'll robotisize him for sure!" Sonia cried.

Manic only smiled. "No, 'Butnik doesn't want him robotisized. He wanted Tails to help engineer for him last time we met."

"No wonder, that kids a genius." Sonic commented.

"But why would Tails _agree_ to help Robotnik?" Sonia asked again.

"You'll see." Manic said, grinning again.

"I hate when he get's that look."

"Target locked." A female voice said.

"What?" Sonia asked, looking up, baffled.

"What the heck?" Sonic added, looking up wearing the same expression.

"He's wearing a tracker, guys." Manic said, holding up a little black box with a blinking light on the screen. "Now let's go get Tails back. And my medallion."


	3. Chapter 3

"What?" Robotnik roared at the SWATbot carrying Tails. "That's not a hedgehog! Can't you worthless piece of junk even tell the difference between a fox and a-" Suddenly he stopped when he noticed Tails twin tails. "You! You're that fox that reprogrammed all of my internal systems programs!"

Tails smiled meekly. He was terrified, but he couldn't help but smile when he remember all the trouble he'd caused when he shut down Robotnik's entire system for nearly a week. It had taken another week for him to reprogram it to work properly. "In the flesh!" He smiled proudly, then remembered who he was talking to, and his smile got a little bit smaller.

"Ha!" Robotnik laughed. "Roboticize him!" He barked to the SWATbot, seemingly having forgotten it's previous mistake.

"Wait!" Tails yelped. This wasn't what he had expected. Robotnik ignored him. "Don't you want to know how I did it?" He called. "Not a single SWATbot noticed the hedgehogs, and they were right out in the open!"

Robotnik smiled again as the SWATbot dropped Tails on the floor of the Robotisizer. "Of course I do, my two tailed friend, and I will, all in due time."

Tails was trying to fly out of the roboticizer, but every time he tried he fell back to the floor, stunned.

"Sleet told me about last time." Robotnik spoke from the outside. "You'll soon learn that I don't make the same mistake twice. There is a force field above this roboticizer, so you can't fly out."

Tails pulled out a small black plate, and attached it to the side of the robotisizer. This was the same EMP based device he had used on the other roboticizer at the plant. A light turned on inside of it, then died out. "Wha?" He cried, as the robotisizer started to make sounds. "That, but, why...?"

"I took a little look at what you did to my last robotisizer, fox. I took the liberty of reprogramming them all, so that your little device wont work again."

Tails rubbed his head. "But... you can't... you can't robotisize me..."

"And why not?" Robotnik asked smugly.

Tails was starting to panic, although he didn't let it show in his voice. This was _not_ what Robotnik was supposed to do. "Because you're wrong!" He yelled, starting to fly as the robotisizer began to light up, being careful to avoid the laser shield above him. "It doesn't matter if I'm a robot. You wont figure it out!"

"No, you're wrong, fox. Once you are robotisized, I can simply access those parts of your memory on demand. You don't _need_ to _tell_ me."

"It wont work!" Tails yelled, less to Robotnik, and more to the green light rising up to meet him. "I installed a ship in case you tried to do this. The instant you robotisize me, all my memory will be erased. I'll be a useless shell of a robot. Sure, I won't bother you anymore, but can you really let a mind like mine go to waste?" Tails was bluffing, but he hoped Robotnik wouldn't know. Technology like Tails was suggesting wasn't possible, at least not yet. But Robotnik knew the fox was a lot smarter than he was, though he didn't dare admit it. "Ah!" He added as an afterthought, as the flashing lights started to catch up to him, and he tried desperately to find a handold at the top of the machine.

That was enough. "Shut it down!" Robotnik yelled angrily. Whether the fox was telling the truth or not, this was one instance where Robotnik couldn't afford to take chances.

Tails collapsed on the ground, tired out, as soon as the lights had turned off. Good, he had gotten Robotnik to turn the thing off... but he was still stuck inside, with that annoying laser shield above him. "Lemme out!" He shouted.

"Not a chance, fox." Now you tell me how the hedgehogs got away, or I turn the thing back on!"

"Okay, okay. I made them wristbands!" He shouted. "They interfered with the SWATbots programming, so that they registered as regular SWATbots."

"Clever. Now deactivate them!"

"All right, all right! But let me OUT!" He demanded. Suddenly the metal walls of the robotisizer were lowered, and as Tails stood up he noticed he was completely surrounded by SWATbots, all holding lasers, pointed at him. "Sheesh Robotnik. You really need all the guards. What are you expecting. I mean, sure I'm smart, but I'm still a freaking fox." He took a step forward. All the SWATbots lifted their weapons, and they began to make a humming sound as the energy inside built up, telling anyone who cared to listen that they were armed. "Whoa... on the ready troops. It's an 8 year old, who knows what damage he can do." He turned to Robotnik. "All this for little ole me? You really must be desperate"

Robotnik just smiled. "I'm no fool, Miles. I know you're no ordinary fox. And I'm not taking any chances with you getting away."

Tails was surprised that Robotnik knew his name, but he didn't show it. "You're the boss". He shrugged. As long as he got to the control room.

_ _ _ _ _

"Manic! What are you doing? We can't just WALK IN!" Sonia yelled. The three hedgehogs found themselves standing in front of a large, heavy set of metal doors that told them they were very unwelcome.

Manic shrugged. "I guess you're right. That would be rude." He knocked instead.

_ _ _ _ _

Tails smiled as he watched the screen. "Nice Manic, knocking." He whispered, laughing. "This is where the fun _really_ starts." And then, Tails' fingers flew, almost as fast as he could with his tails, across the keypads. And then, utter chaos erupted.

_ _ _ _ _

Suddenly, alarms started going off everywhere.

"Now you've done it Manic! We are so DEAD!" His sister cried.

Sonic grabbed his brother and sisters wrists, ready to run, when Manic held him back. "Waaaait for it..." He said slowly, still grinning. _If I'm right, we get tails and my medallion back. If I'm wrong, we are so dead..._

Then a metallic voice came over the speakers, throughout the entire building. "Hedgehog alert. All SWATbots to the south side of the building."

"But that's the exact _opposite_ of where we are!" Sonia said, dumbfounded.

Then the doors swung open.

"Hmm... I guess we _can _just walk in." Manic said, stepping ahead of Sonic and Sonia into the building.

Sonic and Sonia just stared, before snapping out of it and following their brother in.

They followed Manic for a while, before Sonia finally stopped him. "Manic, I'm not doubting you, because you've known what you were doing all the time so far, but how, may I ask, do you _always know which way to go?_"

Manic smiled and pointed upwards, before continuing on his way. Both his sibs looked up, and noticed that all the security cameras we're pointing in their direction. They looked forward, and saw that all the cameras seemed to turn as Manic walked under them, pointing in certain directions whenever they came to another hallway. "I'm not even going to ask." Sonic mumbled under her breath, but Sonia just smiled.

"You guys coming? I'm _waiting_."

Sonic and Sonia quickly caught up to their brother, and kept walking until they reached a wide set of doors, which again opened for them. "That's my line!" Sonic told his brother, coming to a stop beside him and falling into pace with him.

"Too easy." Tails said, punching the computer console gleefully as the three hedgehogs walked in. "No challenge at all." He added solemnly, looking a little disappointed.

"You want a challenge? ALL SWATBOTS TO THE CONTROL ROOM!" Robotnik yelled angrily from behind Tails.

Tails looked up in surprise. He hadn't noticed Robotnik come in, but he wasn't worried. The three hedgehogs continued to watch, confused at what was going on. They stayed like that for a few moments, the hedgehogs tense, ready for a fight, Robotnik stanging smugly in the middle of the room, and Tails leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head and his feet up on the computer console.

After another couple of minuted like that, it slowly changed to three confused hedgehogs, and one angry Robotnik. Tails was still smiling, leaning back in his chair. Finally, all four still standing in the room turned to face him.

"_What._ Is going on?!" Robotnik yelled at him.

Tails cracked one eye open, then swung around in his seat, taking his feet off the console and placing them back on the ground in front of himself. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I deactivated all your SWATbots." He then stood up and spread his arms open, smiling. "Well, time to fly."

He jumped out of his seat and grabbed Manics wrist, while Sonic did the same with Sonia. The two pulled their passenger along with them down the hallway, Sonic falling behind Tails only because Tails was the one who knew where they were going. He stopped in front of a metal door, and turned to Sonic, having pulled to a halt beside him. "Think you can get this door open?" He asked.

Sonic nodded, then went into a spindash, knocking the door down, and shredding the metal where he hit. He landed on the other side and sidestepped out of the way just as the door came crashing down. By the time the others followed him in, he had already gotten a good look around the room. There were glass cases set into the walls, kind of like the display cases at schools, back when there _were _schools, that is.

There were all sorts of things in each of them, and the room seemed to stretch on into the very back of the building. Sonic raced off to find the end, and joined the others near the entrance again 6 seconds later. "It goes pretty far back." He commented. "What are we doing here, exactly?"

Tails pointed at the different displays. Some contained jewels, some contained electronic devices, some contained artifacts. Everything that could be worth anything could be found in one of the many cases in the room. "This is where the medallion and board are being kept. Section T19." He pulled out an electronic holo-map and handed it to Sonic. "You're the fastest, so you can take me, and we'll grab the stuff."

Sonic nodded, and took a couple of seconds to memorize the way to section T19. Grinning, he snapped the holo-map closed and grabbed Tails. "Then let's juice."

Tails eyes widened, and he laughed out loud as he clung to Sonic, feeling the wind blow his tails around. When Sonic stopped, he put Tails down, who stood, panting.

"Sorry, did I go a little too fast?" He teased.

Tails shook his head quickly. "That. Was. _Awesome!"_ He shouted. Then he remembered why they were there. "We're not off the hook yet. Robotnik could have his systems back online in anywhere from 10 minutes to a week. We don't want to take chances, so let's get out of here as quickly as we can." He turned to the wall, and started walking along the hallway, dragging his hand across the glass as he went. Finally, he came to a case that caught his attention. He quickly reached up and grabbed the top of the glass, and without thinking, pulled back. The glass panel made a loud screeching sound as it dragged against the metal of the frame, before it shattered and fell.

"Hey, Tails, what's thi--" Sonic stopped and turned away from what he was looking at when he heard the sound, and covereing his ears he turned to face Tails. His eyes widened when he saw the shattered glass panel on the floor. "How'd you do _that?_" He asked, pointing.

Tails shrugged innocently, then quickly changing the subject, pointed inside the case. "Lookie what I found." He and Sonic grinned at each other, and Sonic reached in to grab the medallion, as Tails reached for the board.

As they were about to leave, Sonic added, "Oh, Tails, come check out what I found. There's this cool board over, there." He paused before the last word, waving his hand through the air, before settling on a direction to point in.

Tails walked over to where Sonic was pointing, and his eyes widened when he saw what inside. "Wicked! I didn't think that there was any of that stuff left!" She shouted, reaching out to pull of the glass panel again.

Sonic winced as it crashed to the floor, and walked over to join Tails. "So. You gonna tell me what it is?"

"This is Extreme Gear!" Tails said exitedly, reaching in for the board and turning it over in his hands carefully. "Nobody makes these anymore! I didn't think there were any left!" He grinned. "This is great. I can totally use this!"

"You can use... Extreme Gear?" Sonic asked, looking for the words Tails had used to describe this strange looking hoverboard.

Tails shook his head, giggling. "Naw, I can't use one, but I can use it as in, take it apart, learn from it. You know? I can probably do some major upgrades on Manic's board with this, too." He added, indicating the board Sonic had now picked up.

"Huh. I guess that's cool." Sonic said.

Just as he said that, Tails noticed movement above his head. He turned to look up, and noticed the security camera moving around slowly, as if trying to get into focus. "Uh oh, I think 'Botnik's starting to fix his security."

Sonic nodded, grabbing Tails, who was still clinging to the Extreme Gear. When they reached the others, they realized that the alarms were now going in the hallways as well.

"What's going on?" Sonia asked Tails nervously as Sonic handed Manic back his stuff.

"Don't know," Tails said. "But I think Robotnik's fixing up his security pretty quickly, and that it's--"

"Time to juice." Sonic cut him off. Sonic grabbed Sonia, Manic jumped on his hoverboard, and Tails started twirling his namesakes, and together, the four of them made their way back to the van before any real trouble had a chance to show up.

_ _ _ _ _

Manic and Tails were sitting in the back of the van dismantling Tails' Extreme Gear, while his brother and sister argued up front about Sonic's driving. "Hey you two!" He called. "Quiet down up there or _I'll _drive." That got them both to shut up. For about three seconds. Manic rolled his eyes as they hit a bump in the road and the argument started up all over again.

Then Manic noticed something odd. The sunlight was glinting off of something strange on Tails' wrist. He looked at Tails curiously. _Was he still wearing a wristband? _"Uh, Tails?"

The two-tailed fox looked up, and noticed Manic pointing. He looked down, and noticed the same thing. He quickly pulled his glove back up to cover it again and went back to what he was doing.

"...You ok buddy?" Manic asked, confused.

Tails looked up and nodded, then saw Manic's concerned face. He sighed, and looking quickly to the front of the van to make sure Sonic and Sonia were still... 'occupied'... he pulled his gloves down. His one hand was completely roboticized, up to just past his wrist. The other was metal halfway up the hand. "Don't tell, the others, K?" He asked awkwardly.


End file.
